Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job
by Skye Coulson
Summary: Post 1x10. Coulson's sister steps up to lead the search for her brother. Sort of a crossover with The Avengers, but, with more emphasis on Agents of SHIELD. The Avengers are more like guest stars than anything else. Please read & review!
1. Work Bitch

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**As always, I own nothing! Except for Kendra Coulson.

**Rating:  
**T (just to be safe)

**Genre:  
**Romance/Drama/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
**Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
**Britney Spears "Work Bitch"

**Author's Note:  
**This idea just came to me when I watched a clip from the new episode (which Marvel so kindly uploaded to YouTube). Not really sure where it came from and _definitely _**no **clue where the hell it's going. So, just sit back and enjoy the ride on the crazy plane!

* * *

Work Bitch

* * *

_Bring it on | Ring the alarm | Don't stop now | Just be the champion | Work it hard | Like it's your profession | Watch out now | 'Cause here it comes_

_Here comes the smasher | Here comes the master | Here comes the big beat | Big beat to blast ya | No time to quit, now | Just time to get it now | Pick up what I'm puttin' down | Pick up what I'm puttin' down_

* * *

Agent Hand walked on to the mobile headquarters used by her colleague, Agent Phil Coulson, and his new team of operatives. Standing outside one of the bunks, she merely stared at the occupant of the bunk as she turned and spoke to the senior agent.

Holding up the bracelet on her wrist, Skye barely even looked at the senior agent before her as she continued to focus on her work in finding Agent Coulson. "Just in time." She offered by way of greeting. "Can you override this?!" She snapped, impatiently. The hacker didn't have time for protocol or courtesies. She had a hell of a lot of work to do and not a lot of time in which to do it. She needed to find Coulson and she needed to find him, yesterday.

"What do you think you're doing?" Agent Victoria Hand asked, accusingly. She had never liked the hacktivist from the very beginning. She never trusted her. Quite honestly, she had no idea what the hell Coulson had ever seen in her. The woman never gave him one good reason that she could see to trust her. Until now, she had merely humored Coulson in his misguided trust in the hacktivist. But, Coulson wasn't there, now. She was calling the shots, now, and Skye had to go.

"The money trail's the key to finding Coulson." Skye explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She really couldn't understand why she was the only one so invested in finding Coulson. This woman, before her, was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was part of the agency that was supposed to have their backs. "I just need to gain access to Vanchat's financials and from there I can trace Centipede's payments and then, hack their account."

"You're the consultant." Agent Hand replied in the same accusing tone. "The one who shot Agent Sitwell." _This is insane! _Skye thought to herself, angrily. _That's _**_seriously _**_what she wants to fixate on, right now?! _She thought, taking in the senior agent's attitude. _This is bullshit!_ She really didn't have time for this, right now.

"Technically, that wasn't me..." Skye replied, hoping that humoring the agent would get her where she needed to go. But, before she could utter another syallable, she was immediately shot down as Agent Hand cut her off, again.

"I want you off this plane, immediately." Agent Hand deadpanned, clearly disinterested in actually doing anything to save her colleague. That was the final straw. Skye understood the need for protocols and following the rules. But, right now was not the time for that. If there was _ever_ a time for going off-book, this would have to be it. _Fuck it, I'm going for it! _Skye told herself as she leapt from her seat on her bed and followed Agent Hand out of her bunk.

"What?!" Agent Grant Ward demanded. _This is bullshit!_ Grant thought to himself. He didn't always agree with the hacktivist's methods, sure. But, right now, she was their only chance at finding Coulson and, he would be damned if he'd turn his back on a team_mate _much less, their **leader**.

"Wait!" Skye called out, defensively. "I know I'm not some badass field agent like May or Ward. But, this is what I do! You can't just kick me off this mission!" She argued. And, she knew she was right. They were never gonna find Coulson without her, and, they all knew it. But, apparently, Coulson didn't matter to this Agent Hand. _Well, he _is _that important to _me_... _"Listen..." She began, with a resigned sigh. "I will do whatever you say..." She offered, reducing herself to the point of pathetic grovelling. "All of this 'protocol' crap doesn't matter to me..." She added, firmly. Skye was not a person to let herself be bullied. She was going to stand her ground, on this, even if it killed her. "All that matters to me is Coulson..." The hacker stared, fearlessly, into the eyes of the senior agent as she spoke her final line, making it perfectly clear that she would _not _roll over and play dead.

"Well, all this 'protocol crap' matters to _me_." Agent Hand, replied snottily. Skye couldn't help noticing how the woman sounded like a high school cheerleader trying to prove that she was the toughest bitch on campus. It took everything the hacker had to bite back a snort of derision. "You're a distraction and you're gone." This was nothing more than a weak-ass attempt at a power play and everybody knew it. Or at least Skye did. And, apparently, so did Ward.

"Agent Hand..." Grant interjected. "I know Skye's methods are a little...unorthodox..." He admitted. "But, she's a member of this team..." Skye was both stunned and relieved to see her supervising officer come to her defense. "She can help."

The tide was rising and Agent Hand knew she was in very real danger of being pulled under. She was losing ground and fast. So, she turned to her last line of defense. "Agent May..." She began, looking at the pilot as she addressed her. "In your professional opinion...Will this girl be of any use to us on this plane?" She asked. It was a bitch move and she knew it. But, she knew that May had feelings for Ward and viewed Skye as a threat to their already tenuous relationship. It was quite possibly her only shot at getting the hacktivist off the plane and out of her hair for good. She had to go for it.

Agent Melinda May glanced from Skye to Agent Hand and back a few moments before delivering her response. "No." She deadpanned. This was her opportunity to get rid of the hacker-thus giving her Grant all to herself-and she'd be damned if she didn't take it. She did almost feel a pang of guilt at leaving Coulson out to dry the way she had. But, she couldn't help herself. She didn't connect with people easily. So, whenever she did, she did whatever it took to hold onto them. Even if it meant abandoning the man that she owed so much to.

Smirking triumphantly, Agent Hand turned to the agents behind her. "Increase her restriction level. Confiscate her laptop. And, have her delivered to debrief." She ordered, ever so smugly.

Skye couldn't believe that May would sell her out in such as petty bitch move. She knew that the pilot didn't like her working with Ward, but, she never thought that she would turn her back on Coulson to get her way. She had been just about to speak when another woman boarded the plane.

"Not. So. Fast." The woman sneered, glaring daggers at Agent Hand, before turning to Skye. _Oh, shit..._Skye thought to herself. "Skye, you stay right where you are." She ordered, tersely. "Agent Hand, you are hereby relieved of your duties-effective immediately." The new woman added, darkly, returning her murderous gaze to Agent Hand.

"You don't have the authority." Agent Hand argued, snottily. Skye didn't know who this new woman was, but, she was definitely starting to like her more and more.

"I don't _need _the authority." The new woman corrected, ominously. "Because, you see, Agent Hand..." She taunted, with a dangerous smirk on her face as she stepped directly into the senior agent's personal space. "I didn't make the call." The deceptively calm smile on the woman's face scared the living hell out of every single occupant on the plane as she dropped her voice to an even more frighteningly murderous tone. "I just didn't argue with the director that did."

"Is she saying what I think she's saying?" Skye whispered to Ward, never once taking her eyes off the heated exchange between the two women before them.

"I think so..." Ward breathed, in awe of what they were seeing.

"The orders came down directly from Fury, himself, Hand." The stranger sneered as she noted the time on her watch. "Now...because I'm _such _a generous person, I'll give you precisely thirty seconds to get the hell off this plane and outta my sight..." She began, before looking up from her watch. "Before I remove you from this plane, by force..." Skye watched in morbid fascination as the stranger stared down Agent Hand. "Make that twenty seconds...Time's ticking, Agent..."

Finally, Agent Hand seemed to have taken the hint as she left the plane, immediately, without another word. "And, Agent May..." The new woman turned her murderous glare onto the pilot. "I'd watch my step if I were you..." She warned, dangerously. "You're on thin ice as it is...Turning your back on my brother won't earn you any brownie points."

Skye and Ward turned to each other with looks of sheer astonishment on their faces as they each mouthed "'Brother'?!" in unison.

"Noted." May deadpanned. After a brief staring match, the new woman returned her attention to the agents that had followed Hand onto the plane.

"Agent Hand will no longer be calling the shots on this-or any future missions." She instructed. "I will be taking the lead on this mission-effective immediately. If any of you have any problems with that, your decommissioning paperwork on my desk by morning. Any questions?" The woman seemed to take a sick sense of pride in all of the frantic head-shakes she received. "Then, why are you still here?!" She demanded, watching gleefully as the agents all scurried away, out of sight.

As the team watched the new woman return her focus to them, they were surprised to see her expression soften. "I'm sure you must all be wondering who the hell I am and what the hell I'm doing here..." The woman offered by way of friendly greeting. "My name is Agent Kendra Coulson. I'm Agent Coulson's younger, wiser, and _definitely_ **much **better-looking sister." She added, playfully, as she twirled her chestnut brown curls in her fingers before returned to business. "We've never met, before, because I've been rather busy due to the fact that I took over my brother's old position as handler for the Avengers." Kendra explained. "But, when Fury read me in as to what happened to Phil, I had to get involved. Unlike Agent Hand, I actually _do _happen to believe that **every **single agent is 'that important'. My brother included."

Shifting her focus to Skye, Kendra added "And, Skye, you're right. You _are _the key to finding my brother, alive. Which is why I've brought in a consultant of my own." She stated with a smug grin as she looked over her shoulder where the rest of the team watched none other than _the _Tony Stark walk in.

"Which one of you's Skye?" Tony asked with a famous 'Stark' grin plastered on his face.

Skye was far too star-struck to speak coherently, opting-instead-to simply raise the wrist encased with her S.H.I.E.L.D. issued jewelery. Stark approached her with a device in his hand that looked like some sort of magnet key. Watching as he placed the key over the joint where the two pieces interlinked, Skye couldn't deny the wave of relief that washed over her as the bracelet fell into Stark's waiting hand and away from her wrist. "Thank God..." She muttered to herself as she absently rubbed her newly bare wrist.

"I wouldn't go quite that far..." Tony grinned, cheekily. "Just 'Tony' is fine..."

"All right, Stark, that's enough." Kendra chastised, playfully. "Now, I know I said I brought _a _consultant of my own with me...Well...That was a lie..." She began with a sly smile as she turned to look over her shoulder, again. "I actually brought my entire team with me..." She amended, smiling as the Avengers all walked into the room. Turning back to her brother's team, she began with her introductions. "You guys, I'd like you all to meet Tony Stark-who you might know better as Iron Man, Captain Steve Rogers-better known as Captain America, Dr. Bruce Banner-aka 'Hulk'...And last, but most certainly _not _least, Agent Natasha Romanoff and Agent Clint Barton-more commonly known as Black Widow and Hawkeye, respectively." Kendra couldn't resist smiling proudly as she introduced her team of heroes. "Collectively, they make up the team known as The Avengers. Avengers, I'd like you all to meet my brother's new team of operatives, Special Agent Grant Ward, Agent Jemma Simmons, Agent Leo Fitz, S.H.I.E.L.D.-Agent-In-Training Skye...and, lastly...Agent Melinda May..." She finished with a challenging glare at Agent May.

"Pleased to meet all of you." Steve greeted, politely.

Before any other pleasantries could be exchanged, however, Kendra spoke again. "Skye, I want you and Stark to work on following the money trail and get into Centipede's accounts, whatever means necessary." She ordered, firmly, sounding astonishingly like her brother. "Let us know the moment you gain access and **definitely **as soon as you find absolutely _anything _relating to my brother..."

"We're on it." Tony replied, ready to get down to business.

"You got it." Skye agreed, turning to lead Tony back to her bunk, before she stopped mid-step, to look back at Kendra over her shoulder. "And, thank you for this opportunity, Agent Coulson..."

Smiling fondly at the young hacker, Kendra simply replied "Call me 'Kendra' and we'll call it even."

"Right..." Skye smiled, at the underlying meaning behind the words. "Thanks, Kendra." Without another word, she proceeded to lead Tony back to her bunk to resume her work following the money trail.

Once Tony and Skye had taken their leave, Grant was the first to speak. "So, what do the rest of us do, now?" He asked. For the first time in a long time, he was completely at a loss as to what do to or how to proceed. Frankly, he was still trying to wrap his mind around how May had thrown Skye under the bus with Agent Hand. He didn't know _what _the hell they were all supposed to do while they waited for Skye and Stark to track Coulson down.

"Right now, Agent Ward..." Kendra replied, helplessly. "We wait..."

"We can't just sit around and do nothing." Barton argued, angrily. "I mean, it was bad enough-you hiding the fact that Coulson's still alive from us..." He added, accusingly. "But, now, you expect us to just sit here with our thumbs up our asses while we hope and pray that Stark and some chicken-shit anarchist track him down in time for us to get to him?!"

"Now, you listen here, Agent Barton." Kendra hissed, venomously. "There are exactly two people on this whole Goddamn _plane _capable of tracking my brother down." She added, stepping directly into Barton's personal space with the same murderous look she had worn on her face while dismissing Agent Hand. "And, I am willing to bet Phil's _life _that they will..."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, so...It's not bad, right? I mean, it's not horrible...And, honestly, I've been wanting to do an AoS/Avengers crossover ever since the series began. Plus, with Peterson out of the picture, they need a little extra muscle to help them take down Centipede's super-soldiers. So, whadda y'all think? You want me to continue this? Drop me a review, and let me know! (And, just FYI, I have _not _by **any **means, forgotten or abandoned "Sometimes, It's Easier To Lie" or "Can You Save Me". I will continue writing those as soon as I quiet the other creative monkeys in my head! lol)


	2. We Go Down

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**As always, I own nothing except Kendra Coulson.

**Rating:  
**T

**Genre:  
**Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
**Coulsye  
Hawkdra (Clint Barton/Kendra Coulson) [I had a strange idea for this pairing and just decided to go for it...hope y'all like it...]

**Lyrics Used:  
**Krewella "We Go Down"

* * *

We Go Down

* * *

_If we go down | We all go down, together | If we go down, down, down | We all go down, together | We are one until it's right | Falling all as one, tonight | If we go down, down, down | We all go down, together_

_If we go down, down, down | If we go down, down, down | We all go down, together_

_We've got nothing left to lose | Come on and shout it | Come on and shout it | And, when the world is doomed | Get up and run it | Get up and run it | To the stars and back again | When we fall, we're hand in hand | We're together like a symphony | Of broken dreams_

_We are giants | We are bigger than a monster | Every second, we are | Taking back the power | On the run till we get a fucking answer | Try to hold us down | But, we only getting stronger_

_If we go down, down, down | We all go down, together_

* * *

"Wow!" Tony remarked, clearly impressed by the amount of work that the young hacktivist he'd been assigned to work with had already accomplished. "This is really impressive!" He added, sincerely. "And, trust me when I say that is _not _a word I throw around, lightly..." He finished, in true Stark fashion.

Skye couldn't help blushing, slightly, at the billionaire's kind words about her work. "Thanks." She mumbled, before finding her voice, again. "I could have already _found _AC, by now, if it hadn't been for that damn bracelet."

"What exactly _was _that thing, anyway?" Tony asked, curiously, before setting up his own holographic computer in Skye's bunk. "And, since when does Phil go by 'AC'?"

"It basically policed my online activity...Making sure I didn't go digging in things S.H.I.E.L.D. decided I had no business digging in..." Skye explained, trying to be as vague as possible, hoping to give the billionaire just enough to satisfy his curiosity and get them back on the task of finding Coulson. "As for the 'AC' thing, he really _doesn't_...It's just something I came up with. He's always pestering me to either call him 'Agent Coulson' or just 'Coulson'...But, I just think 'AC's way cooler. Because he _is_ cool. Always giving people second chances...Even when they, themselves, don't think they really deserve them..."

Tony studied the young hacker for a moment. Clearly Phil was more than a boss or even a mentor to this girl. Just what, exactly, he wasn't entirely sure. "And, I take it from the tone in your voice...by 'they' you really mean 'you'..." He offered, observationally.

"Yeah..." Skye shrugged, hoping against hope to just get back to work as she tried to refocus her attention on the computer before her.

"What makes you think you didn't deserve it?" Tony asked, curiously, while he worked away at the firewalls on the holographic screen in front of him. "Because, I know Phil...And, he wouldn't give a second chance to someone if he didn't feel that they truly deserved it..." He reasoned.

"Yeah, you're right." Skye admitted. "But, I'd really rather not get into that, right now. I'd really rather just focus on finding AC..."

Frowning slightly, Tony replied "Look, I've had JARVIS running an algorithm I designed to help us trace Centipede's payments and hack their accounts from the moment I set foot on this plane. It's gonna take a while to get through their firewalls. Gotta kill the time, somehow..." He shrugged, casually, as he turned to give the hacker his full attention.

"Well..." Skye replied, nervously, biting her lip. "It was several months ago...During one of my first investigations with S.H.I.E.L.D..." She sighed as she began the story of her second chance. "And, it had been revealed that someone from the Rising Tide stole a list of all the S.H.I.E.L.D. assets with super powers and-since I used to _be _part of the Rising Tide-suspicion naturally fell to me. When I reverse-traced the hack to prove my innocence, it turned out that my then-boyfriend, Miles Lydon, had been the one to steal the list. At the time, I still thought he was one of the good guys...So...I sorta...tipped him off that we were on to him...He managed to ditch AC in a high-speed pursuit." Skye paused, there, for a moment as she decided what to reveal and what should remain classified. "After the chase, I went to Miles' apartment to confront him-find out _why _he'd stolen the list...Well, I made the fatal mistake of going alone..."

"'Fatal' how?" Tony asked, curiously. Skye had to admit that it felt...weird...to have Tony Stark's undivided attention. She'd always wondered what it would be like to have someone famous like him pay attention to her. She just never thought it would make her feel so...awkward and embarrassed.

"'Fatal' in that...one thing lead to another and..." Skye explained as her voice trailed off as she was too ashamed to finish her thought.

"And, you slept with him..." Tony supplied, filling in the blanks for her.

"Little bit..." Skye squeaked, shamefully, shrinking in on herself. Sighing, she decided to power on with her story. "Anyway, AC was naturally pissed at me...Hell, _I_ was pissed at _myself_...The investigation ended up revealing that Miles wasn't even the man I had been trying to defend, after all...I just ended up making a huge ass of myself...After it was all said and done...AC gave me one last chance to come completely clean with him...Tell him absolutely everything...So, I did...I just couldn't bear the thought of him being 'done with me' as he put it..."

As he took in the young hacker's story, Tony noticed a flash drive and an SD card laying out on her nightstand. "What are these?" He asked, curiously.

Skye sighed heavily as she realized just what had grabbed the billionaire' attention. "It's everything I have..." She breathed, softly.

"On Phil?" Tony asked, shocked. This was definitely not what he had been expecting.

"On _me_..." Skye explained, quietly. Something about the look in the hacker's eyes told him that there was far more to this story than met the eye. And, he just had to hear it.

* * *

"Pardon me for asking but...Aren't you all...Missing one?" Leo Fitz asked, curiously. Truthfully, his mind was still reeling from the fact that the Avengers were all on the bus with them to help them find Coulson.

Swallowing her drink of water, Kendra replied "Oh yeah...Don't worry. Thor'll be here...He just had some loose ends to tie up in Asgard...He'll be monitoring everything from there and he'll meet us wherever we track my brother down to."

"He can do that?!" Jemma Simmons breathed, clearly amazed.

"He's practically a god..." Kendra shrugged, casually. "He can pretty much do whatever he wants."

"Bloody brilliant." Leo breathed, in sheer awe.

* * *

"Just what the hell is the matter with you?!" Grant hissed, dangerously. "You know damn well that Skye is the _only _chance we've **got **at finding Coulson! You damn well better have one _hell _of a **DAMN **good reason for throwing her under the bus with Agent Hand!"

Melinda May studied her lover carefully. She knew the hazards of lying to the specialist. She had already stepped in it deep enough. "I was jealous." She admitted, shamefully-sighing heavily, as she felt all the tension bleed from body.

Grant couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe Melinda was being so unbelievably petty. "'Jealous'?!" He demanded. He had never felt this angry even under the influence of the berzerker staff. "Jealous of _what_?!" He hissed, stepping directly into the pilot's personal space.

"Of her!" Melinda snapped. "I was jealous of all the time she's been spending with you! I know I'm being ridiculous and petty. It's just..." She sighed, helplessly, searching for the right words. "You know-better than anyone-how hard it is for me to connect with somebody. You have to admit that she's gorgeous and smart...Can you really blame me for feeling threatened by her?"

Grinding his hands together in an effort to refrain from beating Melinda senseless, Grant turned his back to her as he paced back and forth-laughing, darkly, to himself. "You really are a piece of work." He hissed. "Do you have _any _idea what could happen to Coulson if we didn't have Skye on our team?! We would never find him! God only knows _what _that bitch would do to him!"

"I know!" Melinda argued. "It was a bitch move! It was petty and stupid-"

"Ya damn right it was stupid!" Grant roared, jumping less than an inch from May's face, relishing in the stunned fear in her eyes before backing off slightly. "So help me **God**, if anything happens to him, I will hold you _personally _accountable!"

* * *

"Where ya goin', boss?" Barton asked, curiously, as Kendra rose from her chair and began to take her leave from the living area.

"Well, it doesn't look like we're gonna get the answers we need as soon as I would like..." Kendra replied resignedly. "So, I'm gonna head off to my brother's office and get a head start on Agent Hand's Decommissioning paperwork."

"You and your brother really do love your paperwork, don't you?" Barton joked, trying to lighten the tense mood.

"Just because _you_ have an unnatural aversion to paperwork doesn't mean that everybody does, Agent Barton." Kendra replied, just as playfully, stopping next to the archer's chair on her way out of the room, running her hands through his hair and rubbing his bicep briefly on her way out.

"Does Agent Coulson know you're dating his sister?"Jemma asked, curiously, with a fond smile.

"Oh, he knows." Barton replied, knowingly, smiling fondly at his better half.

"We've been together for a couple years, now." Kendra explained, fondly. "Even gave poor Clint the 'over-bearing, over-protective older brother' speech."

"Oh, this I've got to hear!" Leo grinned, wildly. It wasn't often he got a look at his boss's personal side.

"Well, the exact wording has escaped me..." Clint replied, playfully. "But, I believe the gist was as follows. 'Clint Barton...I know you have the capacity to be a decent man-when you want to be. But, my baby sister's the only family I've got. So, believe me when I say...That if you do anything-and I mean _anything_..To hurt my sister in any way, shape, or form...I **will **hunt you down and kill you like a dog.'..."

"Yep, that _definitely _sounds like Agent Coulson..." Jemma replied, smiling playfully, as the rest of the group laughed heartily the joke. It was definitely the ice breaker they needed to cut the tension in the room.

* * *

"What the _hell _do I have to do, here, Melinda?!" Grant growled. "_You're _the one always lecturing _everybody _**_else _**about separating the personal from the mission and yet, what do you go and do?!" He hissed, venomously, as he both verbally and physically backed the pilot into a corner. "You go and try to throw away our _only _hope of finding Coulson for petty _personal _reasons!"

"You're right." Melinda offered, weakly. She knew she was wrong. "And, I'm sorry-"

"You're 'sorry'?!" Grant roared. "We don't have time for 'sorry', Melinda!" Sighing heavily, the specialist willed himself to be calm. "Look, Melinda. I've told you a thousand times...There is _nothing _going on between Skye and me. I am her supervising officer. That. Is. _It_!" He reasoned, harshly. "Nothing is _ever _gonna happen between Skye and myself! If anything, she's more of a little sister figure to me than anything else!" Grant was tired. He was tired of having this argument over and over again. "And, besides...Even if I _did _want a romantic relationship with Skye...She only has eyes for Coulson, anyway! So, there is _never _gonna be anything more than a professional and/or sibling relationship between Skye and myself! This is the last time I am having this argument with you! Either accept that you are the only one I want to be with or be done with me! I won't keep fighting you on this!"

For that, Melinda had no words. She knew she was lucky to have someone like Grant Ward in her life. Instead of arguing with him any further, she followed her instinct, throwing her arms around him and kissing him soundly on the lips.

* * *

"So, you became a hacker-joined an underground group of anarchists...All so that you could find your parents?" Stark asked, stunned by the story that Skye had told him of her childhood.

"Pretty much." Skye shrugged. She'd lived the story for so long, it was nothing new to her, any more. "My entire life's search had led me to a single document. Redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. AC agreed to help me find whatever he could about the document and my parents. He managed to dig up the unredacted version of the document. But, even that didn't really tell us much. Just that an unidentified S.H.I.E.L.D. agent dropped me off at the orphanage when I was a baby. We don't even known if that agent was my mother or just someone who found me and dropped me off.

Tony remained uncharacteristically silent as he absorbed the hacker's life story. "I could help." He offered, simply, sniffing and shrugging nonchalantly. "If you want." He amended. "I could see what I can dig up on your parents."

"I really appreciate that, but, it's kind of already spun a little more out of control than I really wanted." Skye replied, respectfully. "I mean, this whole...I don't know if I'd call it a 'rivalry' or what...between me and May really hit the fan after AC asked her to get involved in this search." She acknowledged. "I really just wanted to keep this as private as possible. I didn't even really want AC to get May involved."

"I can do private." Tony argued, weakly. It was true. As flashy as he was for the tabloids, that wasn't who he really was. In reality, he was a deeply private person. He understood the need for discretion

"He's not lying." Dr. Bruce Banner offered, meekly, from the doorway to Skye's bunk. "Contrary to popular belief, Tony's actually a very deeply private person." He elaborated, as he entered the bunk, sitting next to the billionaire on Skye's bed while Tony draped his arms around the scientist, kissing his neck, softly.

"Whoa, wait a minute?" Skye asked, curiously. "Are you guys..."

"Together?" Tony offered, simply, finishing the hacker's thought for her. "Yes, we are."

Skye was just about to comment on the new turn of events when another Avenger appeared at her door. "Stark." Steve greeted curtly, immediately drawing the attention of both the billionaire and the hacker. "Skye." He added, slightly more gently. "Kendra sent me in to check on your progress. She wants to know if you're any closer to finding Coulson." He explained.

"We're really close." Skye interjected, anxiously. "We're breaking through the firewalls. It shouldn't take us much longer to trace Centipede's payments and hack the accounts to lead us to Coulson." She explained, proudly.

"KC's more like her brother than I realized." Stark observed. "They both love breathing down our necks on a mission."

"In case you forgot, Stark, we got a lot riding on this." Steve argued, sharply. "And, Kendra has the most to lose of anyone if we fail." The captain reminded him.

"I haven't forgotten, Captain." Stark fired back. "We _all _know what's riding on this! And, we _all _have a lot to lose which is why we **won't **fail!" He hissed.

"Okay, I seriously need to get outta here before you guys start duking it out!" Skye interjected, trying to lighten the mood with a little bit of levity. "Besides, I kinda need to talk to Kendra about something, if that's all right with you, Mr. Stark."

"First of all, 'Mr. Stark' was my father." Tony replied, more gently than he had spoken to the Captain. "Call me 'Tony'. And, secondly, that's fine. All we can really do, right now, is wait. So, go right ahead. I'll let you guys know when we have something."

"Thanks, Tony." Skye smiled, warmly. "Where _is _Kendra, now, anyway, Cap?" She asked, turning her attention on Steve.

"She's in Agent Coulson's office." Steve replied, warmly. "And, you can call me 'Steve'."

"Thanks, Steve." Skye replied, smiling warmly, as she took her leave.

* * *

As she was working away on Agent Hand's Decommissioning paperwork, Kendra Coulson heard a knock on her brother's office door. "It's open." She called, absently, finishing the bit she'd been working on before looking up to see who entered the office.

"Hey, Kendra..." Skye greeted, shyly.

"Skye!" Kendra replied, pleasantly surprised. "Come on in!" She added, pushing the forgotten paperwork aside. "Did you and Stark find anything?" She asked, curiously.

"Not yet." Skye admitted. "But, we're really close. We just have to wait for the algorithm to finish cracking through the last of the firewalls. From there, we'll be able to find Coulson." She explained, standing by the door as she wrung her hands, nervously. "But, um...I just...Could I...Talk to you...Just for a minute?" She asked, uncharacteristically shyly.

"Of course!" Kendra smiled, warmly, as she gestured for Skye to take the seat opposite of her brother's desk. "What's on your mind, sweetie?"

"Wow, um, okay..." Skye chuckled, very slightly. "You're...a lot more personable than your brother, sometimes..." She observed as she attempted to search her mind for exactly what she wanted to tell the senior agent.

"Yeah." Kendra chuckled at the hacker's observation of her approach. "Don't get used to it. This is just the approach I use for personal conversations." She warned, playfully. "You should see me in an interrogation. That's where the real ball-buster, in me, comes out to play." Kendra grinned, wickedly.

"Now, _that_, I believe." Skye smiled, warmly, before getting down to the real reason she'd come to the office, in the first place. "Look, I just...I wanted to say...Thank you..." She sighed as she finally got out what she'd been needing to say ever since the younger Coulson had stuck up for her to Agent Hand. "For standing up for me the way that you did..." She elaborated.

As a knowing smile spread across her face, Kendra simply replied "You're more than welcome." It was true. She was happy to stand up for the young woman that had unknowingly stolen her brother's heart. "Make no mistake, Skye..." She added, slightly more firmly. "My brother is _not _an easy man to impress..." She warned, with a mischievous smirk on her face. "And, yet...It seems that everything you do manages to blow his mind, time and again..."

"Really?" Skye breathed, in sheer awe.

"Absolutely." Kendra replied, sincerely. "Skye, why else do you think my brother sticks his neck out for you, time after time? It's because he knows-as well as I do...That you are going to make one _hell _of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, one of these days..."

"You really think so?" Skye asked, quietly, almost not daring to believe it.

"No." Kendra replied, in what was supposed to be an attempt at levity. Though, she immediately regretted it the moment Skye turned away and shrank back as though she'd been slapped in the face. Rising from her seat, the senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stepped around the desk between herself and the hacktivist and crouched down in front of Skye, lightly gripping her chin between her thumb and forefinger, gently forcing her to look at her. "I _know _it." She replied, her voice soft and warm, as she released the hacker's chin and rose to lean back, half-sitting, on the edge of the desk. "Skye, do you know what I did for S.H.I.E.L.D. _before _I took my brother's old job as handler of the Avengers?" She asked, curiously.

"No." Skye shrugged, meekly.

"I worked in recruiting." Kendra replied, simply. "Before that, I was a field officer. But, I gave that up when my relationship with Agent Barton started heating up and started getting more serious. Fury assigned me to recruiting because I always had an eye for who could cut it as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and who couldn't. And, I was damn good at it, too. Frankly, Phil has the same knack for it as I do. That's why he's fought so hard to keep you on this team. Because he sees a rare potential in you, that most people _can't _see. Protocols and techniques...Those are all things that can be learned...But, _you_, Skye...You have something that can't be taught...You have a passion burning deep down inside you...A _need _to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent...Very few people have that. Only those that do can see it in others..." Kendra explained, wisely. "Sure, plenty of people want it bad enough to make it...But, they'll never rise as high as you can...For you...The sky's the limit...There is no limit to how far you can go with this agency. You're a diamond in the rough, Skye." The younger Coulson smiled, proudly. "With just a little polishing, you'll shine brighter than the brightest star."

"You really think I could be that good?" Skye asked, in awe.

"Like I said, before, Skye..." Kendra smiled at the young hacker, fondly. "I don't _have_ to think...I _know _you'll be **that** good."

Before another word could be said, the two women were interrupted by another knock on the door. "Hate to break up this little Kodak moment..." Tony offered, by way of greeting. "But, I though you might like to know I found where they're keeping Phil..."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, I know I'm horrible for leaving it, there. But, I'm experiencing some technical difficulties with my laptop (namely my media control keys not working) so, I decided to leave it, here, and focus on trying to get those sorted out...But, I hope you enjoyed this little offering I have for you.


	3. I Am Only Human

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**You know the drill, by now.

**Rating:  
**T

**Genre:  
**Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairings:  
**Coulsye  
ScienceHusbands  
Hawkdra

**Lyrics Used:  
**Krewella "Human"

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, everyone. I know a lot of you feel like I'm bashing on May, in this story. That's not the case, at all. I don't hate May. Really, I don't. But, when I saw the clip on YouTube, I got an idea and my brain just kind of said "Hey! I wonder what might happen if she actually said that because of this..." so I just went with it to see where it would lead to. Personally, I believe that May only said that Skye would be of no use to them _on the bus_ because she felt like Skye needed to use non-SHIELD related computers to bypass the restrictions from her bracelet. I don't really think she was throwing Skye under the bus. Like I said, this was just a "What if..." kind of thing. Sometimes, I like to twist things around into alternate directions just to see what could happen...It's just an experiment. These are not my views on the characters or the show...

Also, I gave Reina a last name that I pulled outta the air...Just...For the sake of her having one...

* * *

I Am Only Human

* * *

_Is anybody there | Does anybody care | What I'm feeling | I wanna disappear so nobody can hear me screamin' | 'Cause I could use a hand sometimes | Yeah, I could use a hand, sometimes | They say that pain is an illusion | This is just a bruise and | You are just confused, but | I am only human | I could use a hand, sometimes | I am only human | I am only human | I am only human_

* * *

"You found Phil?!" Kendra asked, wanting to confirm the findings before she got her hopes up.

"I tracked Centipede's financials." Tony began, his voice completely clinical. "I found an old apartment building-the complex was shut down years ago and all the other buildings torn down. The deed to the remaining building is in the name of one..." The billionaire paused, there, to double check his information on his StarkTab. "Reina Linton."

"Mike said that a woman named 'Reina' first recruited him into the Centipede program." Skye interjected, as the proverbial light bulb flickered to life over her head. "He said she was the one who took Ace hostage and demanded he turn Phil over in exchange for his son back!" She elaborated. "That has to be her!"

"It certainly is a strong circumstantial case." Kendra conceded. "Go tell May what you found. Have her plot a course for the nearest place for us to land." She ordered, directing her attention to Tony before focusing in on Skye. "Skye, I want you to round everyone else up. Have them meet me in the conference room. We need to strategize."

Skye nodded, once, curtly before making a silent exit-intent on fulfilling her mission. They finally had it. They finally had their shot to get Phil back and she'd be damned if she'd screw it up.

* * *

Melinda May and Grant Ward immediately flew apart when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat in the doorway. Snapping their heads to the side to get a glimpse of who had caught them in such an intimate moment, both of their pupils turned to saucers at the sight of none other than Tony Stark grinning at them wickedly. "So sorry to interrupt..." He began snidely, striding across the room toward the agents. "But, I thought you both might like to know...We found Coulson."

"You found him?!" Ward repeated, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the search to be so quick.

"I'm just gonna overlook that little insult." Tony muttered, sarcastically. "But, yes, Agent Ward...We did-well, Skye and I did." He corrected. "Agent May, I have the coordinates of his current location. KC wants you to plot a course for the nearest landing location."

"On it." Melinda replied, regaining her composure as she straightened her clothes. "Wheels up in ten." She added, curtly, before making her swift and silent exit.

"And, you, Agent Ward." Tony added, after the pilot had taken her leave. "First of all-excellent taste you have, there." The billionaire interjected, sarcastically. "And, second...You might wanna get your ass to the conference room before Skye comes looking for you. Kendra sent her on the hunt for the rest of the group. And, I'm guessing you and Julie Chen, back there, think that your relationship's some sort of secret. Wouldn't want to have to explain anything, would you?" He added, snidely.

"No, sir." Grant ground through gritted teeth as Tony flashed him a smug smile on his way out of the room.

* * *

"What are we looking at?" Natasha asked, clinically, ready to get down to business and save her friend. Now that she knew Coulson was-in fact-alive, she'd be damned if she'd let anything happen to him.

"This, Agent Romanoff, is a satellite image of an abandoned apartment building that is owned-on paper, at the very least-by one Reina Linton." Kendra spoke, slipping into full-on Agent Coulson mode. "Stark and Skye managed to track Centipede to this building through their financials. We believe this is where they are keeping my brother. Agent May is plotting a course for the nearest place-to this apartment building-for us to land, as we speak." She continued on, rolling through the plan of attack. "Once we land, I wanna divide and conquer. Bruce, we're gonna need Hulk on the perimeter. Centipede will undoubtedly have their supersoldiers guarding the perimeter. Stark, you and Skye and I will take the northern quadrant. Barton-you, Romanoff, and Ward take the southern. Rogers, you and May take eastern quadrant-" Before she could complete her orders, however, a rather obnoxious alarm rang through the air.

"Who opened the cargo hatch?!" May demanded, walking into the conference room from the cock pit.

"Friends!" Thor boomed, striding proudly into the conference room. "Let us commence with our efforts to rescue the son of Coul."

"That's Thor!" Jemma whispered to Leo, excitedly. "It's really him! In the flesh!"

"So glad you could join us, Thor." Kendra replied, curtly. "I was just assigning teams. Given that no field operatives remain unassigned, you will be watching the western quadrant on your own. We'll all be on comms, so, just let us know if you need back-up."

"'Tis an honor to serve." Thor bowed, respectfully.

"A-Agent Coulson?" Leo chimed in, nervously. "What, exactly do you wish for Jemma and I to do?" He asked, timidly.

"Fitzsimmons, I'm gonna need the two of you to stay on the bus. We're gonna need eyes and ears outside of the combat zone to alert us of any movements on Centipede's part." Kendra replied, authoritatively. "We need you to have our backs." She added, in a more personable tone.

"Consider it done." Jemma replied, smiling proudly. She and Fitz may not have what it took to be out, in the field. But, damn, it felt good to at least be able to contribute _something _to the rescue of their mentor and friend.

Turning to her team, Kendra replied "Stark, Rogers, Barton, Romanoff...Suit up!" With curt nods of understanding, Tony, Steve, Clint, and Natasha all took off to prepare for the confrontation ahead of them. Turning to Bruce, she added "Bruce, you'll suit up when we get there."

"Noted." Bruce replied, briefly.

"Skye, I want you to come with me." Kendra continued, cryptically, focusing on the hacker. "I have something special for you."

"Oh. O-okay..." Skye replied, unsure of exactly what the younger Coulson meant by that.

"Everyone else..." The senior agent added, with a deep breath for courage. "You know what you need to do. So, get ready."

* * *

Walking into her brother's bunk, the younger Coulson made her way over to the closet as she began her prep for the impending confrontation. "Sooo...What, exactly, is that you have for me?" Skye asked, timidly, almost afraid of the answer.

Rummaging through her things in her brother's closet, Kendra smiled fondly as she pulled out a black and silver handgun which she then passed to Skye. "This is a Smith and Wesson SD-Forty VE." The younger Coulson explained. "It was the first firearm I ever carried as a field officer. It served me quite well. I held on to it with the intent of passing it on to a deserving young operative. That operative is you, Skye." She smiled fondly as the young hacker examined the pistol in her hands. "I want you to have it."

"Me?!" Skye breathed, snapping her head up to look the senior agent before her. "W-Why me?"

"I meant what I said, before, Skye." Kendra replied, sincerely. "You are on your way to becoming one of the best damn field operatives S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever seen...You're gonna need a solid weapon in your arsenal to get there." Smiling proudly, Kendra added "Plus...You remind me of a younger me..."

"Really?!" Skye breathed, in sheer awe.

"You bet your ass." Kendra replied, staring directly into the hacker's eyes to driver her point home. "Just remember...When you shoot..._Always _shoot to kill."

Looking up at the senior agent, Skye saw an earnestness in her eyes, that she knew should have chilled her to the bone. She didn't know if it was the adrenaline of going after Coulson or what...But, instead, she only felt empowered as she nodded in agreement.

* * *

Once they had arrived on the scene, the team had been met with an immediate attack by Centipede soldiers. After a brief struggle-with the Hulk's help-they found their way into the building. "Remember, everyone..." Kendra ordered, quietly. "If anyone spots my brother, call it out. The rest of us will meet you, there. We're gonna need all hands on deck to get Phil outta here."

Her orders were met with a chorus of "Got it."s as the group split up into the previously assigned teams and headed off to their respective quadrants.

As they explored their area, Stark couldn't help noticing the firearm that Skye was sporting. "That's _some _heat you're packing." He commented, cheekily.

Skye could only smile proudly as her eyes scanned the room for any sign of her AC. After a few more moments, her attention perked up as her ears caught hold of something. "Guys!" She called out, in a hushed tone. "Over here! I think I hear something!" She added, frantically gesturing for Tony and Kendra join her at the doorway.

Pressing herself against the wall to remain out of sight, Kendra strained to see if she could hear what the hacker thought she was hearing. "Nice catch, rook!" Kendra grinned, proudly at her brother's young protege.

_"You were killed."_ Kendra heard the voice of a woman-presumably Reina-speaking. She could could only assume she was speaking to her brother. _"Now, you're here."_ Kendra definitely did _not _like where this conversation sounded like it was going. _"We want to know how."_

"That's it." Kendra declared, drawing the attention of her two partners. "I've heard enough. I'm going in. I want the two of you stay back. Stark, I want you to stick with Skye-watch each other's backs. I wanna handle this as quickly and quietly as possible." She elaborated, keeping her tone hushed. "If we go in there, all guns blazing, it'll only start a war. I want to get through this with as few casualties as possible." Skye and Tony had to admit that Kendra was right. If they went in there, shooting first and asking questions later, they would risk Coulson getting hit and that was not a chance any of them wanted to take unless _absolutely _necessary. "Stark, radio the others, have them meet you here. Only come in if you think I _truly _need the help."

"Got it." Tony nodded his understanding.

"You can't just go in there, alone." Skye argued. "You need back-up, you need-"

"Skye!" Kendra cut the hacker off before her rant could get out of hand. "I _have _to go in alone. Right now, the best advantage we have is the element of surprise. It always was my best move." She grinned wickedly. "Just keep an eye on things from here, and only come to my aid if it appears _absolutely _necessary."

Staring at Kendra apprehensively, Skye finally had to admit the senior agent was right. "Fine." She acquiesced. "Just...Be careful, okay? It's bad enough AC's in trouble...I don't want anything happening to you, too..."

"I always am." Kendra grinned mischievously as she silently crept through the door that had been left ajar.

* * *

"Guys!" Tony called out over the comm, quietly. "We found Coulson. I repeat, we found Coulson. Meet us in apartment twenty-one-ten. Stand down, when you get here. We are going in _only _as a last resort. Do not move without my signal."

"Got it." Ward replied, curtly, taking off in the direction of the unit he'd been summoned to with Romanoff and Barton in tow.

"On our way." Steve replied, taking off with May in tow.

* * *

"Please, I'm begging you, just let me die." Her brother's frantic voice threatened to shatter Kendra's heart inside her chest. The senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had to physically bite her tongue to prevent herself from giving away her location as she crept up behind Reina, her weapon drawn. Once she stood directly behind her, Kendra finally spoke.

"So glad I could rain on your parade, Reina." Kendra spoke, dangerously, as she kept her gun pointed directly at Reina's head. As the woman before her turned to face her, Kendra came to a conclusion. _This bitch has to go..._ She decided as she cocked her gun.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**So, I decided to leave this one, here, because I felt like I was starting to ramble. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. But, work's gonna be getting crazy, next week. So, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, enjoy!

-Skye Coulson (formerly known as Shaelynn Stark)


	4. Dancing With the Devil

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**Y'all know the drill, by now...

**Rating:  
**T

**Genre:  
**Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairings:  
**Coulsye  
Hawkdra

**Lyrics Used:  
**Krewella "Dancing With the Devil"

* * *

Dancing With the Devil

* * *

_Whoa oh | Whoa oh | Our clipped wings will never hold us down | Whoa oh | Whoa oh | We are kings from the underground | We, we came | To rain on your parade | And, if we die, then who will be your enemy | So, shut the fuck up, we're about to leave a legacy_

_We are louder than your bullshit | Just dancing with the devil | We are louder than your bullshit | Just dancing with the devil_

_Dancing with the devil | Dancing with the devil | You're dancing with the devil_

* * *

"So glad I could rain on your parade, Reina." Kendra spoke, dangerously, as she kept her gun pointed directly at Reina's head. As the woman before her turned to face her, Kendra came to a conclusion. _This bitch has to go..._ She decided as she cocked her gun. Her inner monologue was soon cut short by the sound of her brother's voice as it cut through her thought process.

"Kendra?!" Phil's voice cracked, shakily. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. What the hell was Kendra doing here? How did she even know he was missing? Much less where to find him? Then, a bone-chilling thought occurred to him. _Oh God...Please, tell me they didn't get her, too... _"Kendra, you have to go! Go! Get out of here!" He screamed at his baby sister, hoping to get her out of this God-forsaken hellhole. "Please! You have what you want! You already have me! Just...Just let her go! She has nothing to do with any of this, I swear!"

"Damn it, Phil, stop it-just-stop it!" Kendra shouted, frustratedly, as fought like hell to maintain her composure while her brother's frantic pleas threatened to rip her heart right out of her chest. The effects of her brother's words were visible in the shaking of her pistol.

"So..." Reina began, coyly, as she sauntered up to Kendra-stopping just in front of the pistol aimed directly at her forehead. "The two of you know each other?" She added, snidely, clearly already knowing the answer.

* * *

"I don't know if I can watch this..." Skye began, anxiously. Watching the exchange between Reina and Kendra was nearly as difficult as the one between Phil, Mike, and Reina. In some ways, it was almost worse, now that she _knew _Phil's life was at stake. She didn't want to think what might become of her if they lost him. In that moment, she came to a conclusion. _If we all make it outta this...I have to tell him how I feel..._She vowed to herself.

"We have our orders." Steve whispered, curtly, in response. They could all see how hard this was on the young hacker. Honestly, it was hell for all of them. Every muscle in Steve's body was screaming at him to barge in there and rescue his friend. It was only the logical part of his brain holding him back.

"I'm inclined to agree with Skye." Clint interjected, quietly. "I mean, we all _just _found out Coulson was still alive! Something we were never allowed to know until he was kidnapped by some crazy-ass, mad-scientist bitch." He reasoned, harshly. "I can't tell you how tempted I am to say to hell with protocol and orders and just start crackin' a few skulls!"

"Need I remind you all that it's be_cause _of Phil that we're not just barging in there, right now?!" Tony hissed, quietly. "If we go running in there, 'cracking skulls', Phil will all but certainly get caught in the cross-hairs." He argued.

* * *

Shaking her head free of the thoughts of her brother's frantic pleas, Kendra nearly growled "Ya know...I would have thought you criminals would have learned your lesson by now, about taking that which does not belong to you..." She snarled, steadying her gun. "Particularly when it comes to taking _my _things...My brother included."

"Your brother, hm?" Reina replied, calmly, turning to Phil. "Why didn't you ever tell me you had a sister, Phillip?" She cooed, stroking Phil's face in a deceptively kind gesture.

"Don't. Fucking. TOUCH HIM!" Kendra screamed, forgetting about her plans and charging the woman holding her brother hostage. Before she knew it, inhumanly strong arms encircled her, restraining her from reaching her target.

"NO!" Phil screamed, fighting like hell against the restraints which held him in place on the decrepit old bed he lay upon. "KENDRA!"

"Fuck this shit!" Kendra hissed, under her breath, as her adrenaline kicked into overdrive and she manged to knee one of her captors in the groin-effectively bringing him to his knees as she planted her steel-toed boot in his face, rendering him unconscious. Once she had broken his grip on her, she used her free hand to sucker punch her other captor before kneeing him in the groin as well. Once she was finally free, she crouched down and swept her foot under his legs, knocking him to the ground. As the soldier rolled onto his side, she planted her steel-toed boot in his rib cage, smiling proudly as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Watching as her guards had been single-handedly disarmed, Reina spotted Kendra's firearm lying on the ground where it had landed after being dropped during the struggle. "Looks like I have the upper hand, now." She sneered, as Kendra raised her hands instinctively once she saw her own weapon turned against her.

* * *

"That's it, I'm goin' in!" Skye declared. She'd had enough. Not only did AC's life hang in the balance, now, Kendra was in trouble as well. Before anyone could stop her, she charged through the doorway into the room where AC was being held.

"What the hell are we waiting for?!" Clint demanded, angrily. "Let's go!" Immediately, the rest of the team sprang to action, following the hacker into the room.

Spotting one of the guards stirring to life on the floor, Skye instinctively cocked her gun and-without even thinking about it-fired a single shot. She couldn't have stopped the proud smile from spreading across her face as the bullet found its mark in the soldier's skull if her life had depended on it.

Snapping to attention at the sound of the gunshot, Phil was positively terrified when he saw Skye standing over a dead Centipede soldier. _Oh, God, no..._ He thought to himself. He couldn't bear the thought of the danger that Skye was in just by being in this room. _Please God, don't let them take her! _He thought to himself in a panic. He didn't know if he could survive losing her. In the middle of his inner monologue was cut short when he finally registered the fact that Skye was currently standing over a dead Centipede soldier with a gun in her hand. _Did she..._Phil wondered to himself, briefly, before realizing that Skye had killed the soldier lying dead at her feet. He couldn't help feeling rather proud of the young hacker that had stolen his heart.

Before Phil could finish his thought process, however, another team of soldiers stormed the room, attacking his team. "Skye! On your six!" Ward shouted out, over his struggle with one of the new soldiers.

Whirling around, Skye holstered her gun as she gripped the wrist of her attacker and twisted it painfully around his back before reaching for her weapon, again, with her free hand. After placing another bullet in another skull, she raced over to help Kendra with the two soldiers on her flanks. After they effectively disarmed one of them, Kendra turned to the hacker. "Skye, you focus on my brother! Get him out of here! We'll keep these guys distracted!" She barked out her orders over the fight.

"I'm not leaving you!" Skye insisted. It wasn't often someone cared about her, the way that Kendra and her brother did. She'd be damned if she'd turn her back on either one of them.

"Skye, just go!" Kendra ordered. "We can handle these guys! Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal, here! Get Phil the hell outta here!" She demanded, physically shoving Skye over to the bed where Phil had been restrained.

Before Skye could argue any further, Kendra had gone and disappeared back into the melee. Focusing on the man before her, Skye quickly set to work, furiously working to undo the straps that held her mentor in place. "Skye, what are you doing?!" Phil wondered, frantically. "You have to get out of here!"

"What's it _look _like I'm doing?!" The hacker snapped, not looking up from her work. One look in Phil's eyes would only distract her from her goal. She had to stay focused if they were gonna get Phil out of there, safely. "I'm not leaving without you, Phil!" She added, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear to clear her vision.

Once the last of the straps were open, Skye quickly helped Phil to his feet. Glancing around the room, she noticed that all the Centipede soldiers were locked in battle against her team and the Avengers. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly ushered Phil out of the room-away from the madness. "Skye, what were you thinking?! You could have been**killed**!" Phil demanded.

"I was _thinking _that one of the **very **select few people to ever actually give a crap about me was in trouble!" Skye hissed. "I was _thinking _that I would rather **die **than turn my back on him!"

Placing a bullet in the head of her last Centipede soldier, Kendra glanced around the room to see the rest of the group finishing off the last of their attackers, as well. Al that remained was Reina. Staring directly at the woman that had taken her brother, Kendra spoke to the rest of her team. "Go check on Phil and Skye." Even the senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had to admit that her voice sounded foreign even to her own ears. "I'll handle this bitch." The murderous tone in her voice chilled the rest of her team to the core as they wordlessly followed her orders.

* * *

Once they were alone, Kendra aimed her weapon at Reina's head she addressed the woman before her. "Looks like it's just you and me." Kendra sneered, cocking her gun. "Now, you're gonna see what happens when people take things that belong to me." Watching as Reina raised her own weapon, she reflexively pulled her trigger and fired at the precise moment that Reina fired her own weapon.

Hearing the gunshots, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. teams all whipped around to face the room they had just exited. Staring wide-eyed at the doorway, they all waited on bated breath for Kendra to walk through the door and join them. "Come on, Kendra..." Skye muttered under her breath.

Terrified for his girlfriend's life, Clint breathed "Come on, Kendra...Walk through that door, already..."

"Come on, Ken-Doll..." Phil breathed, to himself, subconsciously resorting to his old childhood nickname for his sister as he anxiously waited for her to rejoin them.

Finally, the entire group released a sigh of relief, simultaneously as the younger Coulson joined them. "Kendra!" Skye cried, as she raced over to her new friend, throwing her arms around the younger Coulson's neck, before noticing a bone-chilling sight. "Oh my God..." She breathed, instinctively reaching out to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's bloody shoulder. "You've been hit!"

"What?!" Phil demanded, shoving his way through the group to examine his sister's injuries. "Where?! Oh my God..."

"You guys, relax!" Kendra insisted. She really hated being fussed over. "It's just a flesh wound. A few stitches, and, I'll be fine." She reiterated, trying to placate her brother and his protege. "Can we please, just get out of here?!"

"I think that sounds like the best damn idea I've heard in a long time!" Clint replied, agreeably, as the rest of the rest of the group nodded frantically. They were all desperate to get the hell out of that dump and back to the bus.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, so, not sure how to feel about the ending. But, I feel good about the chapter, overall. I hope you all like it!


	5. We're On Each Other's Team

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**Y'all know the drill, by now.

**Rating:  
**T

**Genre:  
**Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairings:  
**Coulsye  
Hawkdra  
ScienceHusbands

**Lyrics Used:  
**Lorde "Team"

* * *

We're On Each Other's Team

* * *

_We live in cities you'll never see on screen | Not very pretty, but, we sure know how to run things | Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams | And you know, we're on each other's team_

* * *

"All right." Bruce stated, finally, sewing up the last of Kendra's stitches. "That should do it." He added, as he began to clean up his tools. "Just...be a little more careful with these, will you?" The physicist asked, cheekily. "We don't need a repeat of last time..."

"What happened, last time?" Jemma asked, curiously, as Kendra's face turned the color of a tomato.

"We really don't need to go there..." The younger Coulson replied, dismissively. "It's not important. I'll just...be more careful, this time..."

"Oh, now, we have to hear this..." Leo interjected, excitedly.

"Hear what?" Phil asked, curiously, entering the plane's on-board lab.

"Bruce and Kendra were just about to tell us what happened the _last _time Bruce stitched her up..." Jemma replied, smugly.

"Oh, I'd like to hear that..." Phil replied, smiling excitedly.

"No, Phil..." Kendra replied, desperately trying to send her brother a non-verbal message. "Trust me, on this one...You _really _wouldn't..."

Phil eyed his sister, suspiciously. "Yet, somehow, that comment just makes me wanna hear the story even more." He replied.

"What story?" Clint asked, curiously, entering the lab to see what all the excitement was about.

"Oh, Kendra was just about to regale us with the tale of the _last _time Dr. Banner stitched her up." Phil replied, smugly. He could tell this would be a rather amusingly embarrassing story for his baby sister and he couldn't wait to hear it.

Once the statement sank in, Clint's eyes turned to saucers as he stared at Kendra, frantically. He really didn't need Phil hearing any of the specific details of his...intimacies with Phil's baby sister. "No, Kendra's right, Phil...You **_really _**don't wanna hear that story..."

"Well, now, I kinda think I have to..." Phil replied, eying the archer and his sister suspiciously.

Bruce couldn't help smirking at the archer and their handler. This was definitely the most amusing position they'd ever been caught in. "You know, Kendra..." He interjected, cheekily. "If you don't tell them...I just might..."

Kendra knew the doctor well enough to know that when he made a threat, he would definitely see it through. Shifting her glance back and forth between her brother and her boyfriend...She knew she was screwed. She would have to tell the story. Shooting the archer an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Clint..." She apologized before beginning the story. "Well...to make a long story short...I took a bullet during a mission and...After Bruce stitched me up, I went back home to Clint...The mission had been hard on us both. One thing lead to another...We tried something new-"

"Okay!" Phil interjected, desperate to get the images of his sister and the archer out of his head! "I admit it!" He shouted. "You were right! I definitely did _not _need to hear that story..." He mumbled under his breath, shaking his head to clear his mind of the mental picture his sister's story had painted.

Kendra, Jemma, Bruce, and Leo all looked at each other for a moment before erupting in laughter. "I tried to warn him!" Kendra defended, wiping a tear from her eye, as her laughter died down.

"We both did!" Clint added, smiling at his girlfriend.

"Fair point!" Jemma conceded. "But, that look on his face was absolutely _priceless_!" She added, still trying to quiet her laughter.

"Definitely worth it!" Leo agreed, as the group all continued laughing over the memory of Phil first learning about his sister's sex life.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Skye asked, not sure if she should laugh at the sight of Phil sitting at the bar shaking his head periodically in between drinks or if she should be seriously concerned. In the end, she settled for a little of both as she sat down on the stool next to him and poured herself a shot of the whiskey he'd been drinking.

"'m fine..." Phil mumbled, absently. "Just trying to get an incredibly unsettling picture out of my head." He elaborated, cryptically.

"I see." Skye replied, throwing back her shot, before returning her attention to Phil. "And, what picture might that be?" She asked, curiously.

"Just all the different 'new things' for Clint and Kendra to try in the bedroom." Phil muttered as he poured himself another shot.

Skye, on the other hand, nearly sprayed her shot all over the opposing wall. "I'm sorry?" Skye chuckled, disbelievingly.

"I went down to the lab to check on her, after Bruce finished stitching her up." Phil began, throwing back his shot. "When I got there, they were all talking about how Kendra was about to tell them about the _last _time Bruce stitched her up..." He paused to shudder slightly as he pressed onward. "Anyway, it looked like it might be a funny story-given the way Kendra's face turned beet-red...So, I pressed her into telling the story..."

"And, what was that story, exactly?" Skye asked, curiously, as she shifted in her stool to lend Phil her full attention.

"Evidently, Kendra had managed to rip the stitches open..." Phil began, cringing ever so slightly. "While they were...'trying something new in the bedroom'..."

Skye couldn't help cringing sympathetically as she threw back another shot. "Ooohhh, yeah...I could _definitely _see how that would be off-putting..." She agreed, grinning slightly. Finally, after they both shared a laugh, a...not entirely awkward silence stretched between them. "But, I uh...I sense that's not the only reason you're here, drowning your mental pictures in a bottle of whiskey..."

Sighing heavily, Phil replied "Yeah...I suppose you're right." He conceded. "It's just that...While I was..." The elder Coulson had to pause, there, to search for the right words. "away...Reina said that...What she wanted was to know everything about the day _after _I died..."

"I see..." Skye began, thoughtfully, as she absently gripped Phil's hand. "What happened?" She asked. Something about the soft, warm, tone in her voice and the comforting feeling of his hand in hers all but begged Phil to open up to the young woman that had unknowingly taken up permanent residence in his heart.

"It's just..." Phil began, helplessly. "I've just always been led to believe that...I died...The medics brought me back...I spent a couple weeks in ICU and, then...They shipped me off to Tahiti for some R and R before being brought back to head up this team, here..."

Skye remained silent, for a moment, as she processed what Phil was saying. "But...That wasn't the case..." She supplied, finally, sliding her stool over closer to Phil. "Was it?" She asked, softly.

"No." Phil replied. The helplessness in his voice tugged at Skye's heart. She hated seeing Phil this way. "No, it wasn't." He didn't know why he was so comfortable opening up to the young hacker. Maybe it was because he loved and trusted her in ways that he'd never thought he'd ever be capable of. After releasing a breath he hadn't even known he'd taken, Phil added "My entire _life _after New York has been based on lies..."

Skye couldn't help feeling for the man that had stolen her heart. "You wanna talk about it?" She asked, gently, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

Looking into the warm doe eyes of the woman he loved, Phil realized he could never deny her anything. _Plus, it could _only _help me if I talk about it...I mean, what's the worst that could happen?_ He thought to himself with a deep breath before he finally decided to just go for it and tell her everything. "It all started when I was stabbed..."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, so, this chapter was really just a filler to tide you all over until the mid-season premiere, on Tuesday. I considered just using one of my own theories about the day that Reina referenced in "The Bridge". But, I had so **_many_** theories that I couldn't decide which one to go with...So, I decided to just wait until "The Magical Place" airs, Tuesday night and just go with that. So, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little offering I bring you...I personally loved writing the scene with Kendra's story of the last time Bruce stitched her up. Lol. I figured it was time for a dash of comedy in this story. Lol. Anyway, enjoy. I'll try to get the next chapter up on Wednesday after "The Magical Place" airs the night before.

~Skye Coulson


	6. I Will Love You Unconditionally

**Never Send An Agent to Do A Sister's Job**

**Disclaimer:  
**Y'all know the drill, by now.

**Rating:  
**T

**Genre:  
**Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
**Couslye

**Lyrics Used:  
**Katy Perry "Unconditionally"

* * *

I Will Love You Unconditionally

* * *

_Oh no, did I get too close | Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside | All your insecurities | All the dirty laundry | Never made me blink one time_

_Unconditional | Unconditionally | I will love you unconditionally | There is no fear now | Let go and just be free | I will love you unconditionally_

_Come just as you are to me | Don't need apologies | Know that you are worthy | I'll take your bad days with your good | Walk through the storm I would | I do it all because I love you | I love you_

_So, open up your heart and just let it begin | Open up your heart and just let it begin | Open up your heart and just let it begin | Open up your heart_

* * *

_Looking into the warm doe eyes of the woman he loved, Phil realized he could never deny her anything. _Plus, it could _only _help me, if I talk about it...I mean, what's the worst that could happen? _He thought to himself with a deep breath before he decided to just go for it and tell her everything. "It all started when I was stabbed..."_

* * *

"Eight seconds-forty...None of that even matters, now..." Phil added, helplessly. "All this time...I thought they had operated on my _heart_...Repaired the damage..." Watching Phil tell his story, Skye nearly regretted making him relive something so traumatic. She knew it couldn't be easy for the man. But, deep down, she knew he needed this. A person could only keep something like this bottled up, inside, for so long before they just...lost themselves. The young hacker had to admit that she didn't know what she would do if that had ever happened to Phil. "But, it was all lies. They didn't just repair my heart...They used a _machine _to fuck with my brain..." As unaccustomed as she was to such vulgar language coming from the senior agent, Skye easily over-looked it, given the situation. "I _wanted _to die...I begged them-_pleaded _with them to just...let me die." As Phil finally turned to look Skye in the eye, the sheer, unadulterated _agony_ written in the piercing blue orbs crushed Skye's heart in a vice.

Skye truly had no words for what the man before her had just told her. Instead, she opted to pull them both to standing position so that she could wrap her arms around him. As she held him close, she felt him melt into the embrace-burying his face in the crook of her neck as he cried it out-choking sobs wracking his entire body. As much as it tore her to pieces to hear him suffering so, she knew he needed it. He needed to get it out if he was ever going to have a chance at putting it all behind him and moving forward with his life. Once the sobs finally subsided, Skye buried her own face into the crook of his neck as she spoke. "Thank you, Phil..."

Finally pulling away from the woman that held him in her arms, Phil stared straight into her eyes with a confused countenance. "What?" He wondered, aloud.

Raising a hand to tenderly caress his cheek, Skye smiled ever so slightly as she replied, warmly "For trusting me enough to open up to me. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to relive that. I won't pretend to understand what you're going through-God knows _nobody _could ever understand it if they hadn't been through it. But, I know it took a lot for you to open up about this. I'm just glad that I could be here for you when you did."

Smiling ever so slightly at the sentiment, Phil caught the hand on his cheek and cradled it gently-almost as if it were sacred. "I've _always _trusted you, Skye." He replied, warmly. Deep down, he knew it to be true. Even when he'd begun to question everything around him, she was the one constant; the one thing he knew would always be there-that he could always trust in.

Staring into the eyes of the man she loved, Skye remembered the vow that she had made to herself. She wanted to carry it through. But, after everything Phil had already been through, she wondered if now was really the time. However, she must have lost herself in thought as she suddenly registered the feeling of her lips pressed against Phil's. The senior agent tensed for a moment before Skye registered the feeling of reciprocity. Once she felt the kiss being returned, Skye allowed her mind to shut down completely and gave herself over to her instincts as her hands glided through his hair while she registered his own hands gripping her waist and pulling her flush against him.

Eventually, the need for oxygen became too much to ignore. As they both pulled away, panting slightly from their previous activities, they stared into each other's eyes before Phil finally spoke. "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth..." He began, smirking ever so slightly. Skye had to admit, it felt pretty damn good to see _anything _positive in his facial expression. "But...I have to ask..." He added, more seriously, as Skye began to dread the question she knew was coming, next. "What _was _that?" The wonder in his voice was coupled with desperation and something that Skye hadn't quite expected. Hope.

Trying to buy herself some time to work up the courage to actually _say _what she wanted to say, Skye quipped the first joke that came to her mind. "That, Phil, was what I believe most people would call a 'kiss'..." She paused as she quirked her eyebrows, playfully. "If I'm not mistaken."

Phil couldn't have stopped the small chuckle from bubbling out of his chest if his life had depended on it. And, he had to admit...He didn't think he'd be laughing-to any degree-so soon after what he'd just been through. But, damn, it felt good. However, his amusement was soon overruled by a desperate need to know why the young hacker had kissed him. Had it been a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing or was it more than that? The senior agent knew-even if he didn't like the answer-he needed to know. He had to know where he stood with her. Even if this was all he would ever have with her-romantically speaking. Finally, sighing lightly, he bit the proverbial bullet and voiced the real question on his mind. "I know _that_...What I meant was...Why did you do it?"

As she released a light sigh of her own, Skye knew she couldn't dodge the question, forever. "I did it because..." Chewing her lip, nervously, Skye bit her own bullet and decided to just cannon ball into the metaphoric pool of uncertainty. "Because, while you were missing, I vowed to myself that-if we both made it out, alive-I was finally going to tell you how I feel about you. And, since I couldn't find the right words...I decided to let my actions speak for me..." She admitted, as she shifted her gaze to stare at a suddenly fascinating spot on the floor.

Finally, Phil began to feel something he hadn't felt ever since Centipede's first attempt to extract his memories of the day after he died. Hope. As the ghost of a smile tugged at his lips, Phil lightly gripped Skye's chin between his thumb and forefinger as he gently guided her face upward to look at him. "Funny." He chuckled, ever so slightly. "I made _myself _that very _same _promise."

The sight of Skye's eyes widening in hope very nearly made everything he'd been through during his captivity worthwhile. "Really?!" The hacker breathed, not daring to speak any louder for fear that it would shatter the perfect illusion she'd created for herself where Phil loved her back-in the same way that she loved him.

"Really." Phil replied, the smile on his face echoed in his voice. "Skye, I fell in love with you the moment I first laid eyes on you. Thinking about you was the only thing that got me through my captivity. I just...I _needed _to see you again." He admitted, baring his soul to someone for the first time. Even his cellist never got to see extent of himself that he was showing the young hacker. "I needed _you_." He finished, solemnly. "And, I always will."

Skye couldn't stand it, anymore. She threw her arms around him as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I need you, too, Phil." She replied, though muffled by his shoulder. Pulling back to look him in the eyes once more. "I love you, unconditionally, Phil." She replied with a warm smile.

Phil Coulson couldn't believe everything that had happened since he'd been taken. First, he was dragged through depths of Hell that he was reasonably certain that even Satan,_ himself_, never knew existed. Now, here he was, in the arms of the woman he loved. And, the best part of it all...Was learning that she loved him in return. Lacking the words to express his gratitude to the maddeningly beautiful woman before him, Phil gave himself over to his instincts and expressed his gratitude through his actions as he leaned in and pressed a second-more heated and passionate-kiss to the hacker's lips.

* * *

"'Bout damn time." Kendra observed, a well-satisfied smirk tugging at her lips, as the rest of the group watched the exchange between Phil and Skye. "Seriously. I was literally about like...two steps away from locking the two of them up in a room, together, until they finally hooked up."

"Seconded." Ward added, warmly. "They deserve this. God knows they've earned it."

"I couldn't agree more." Tony added, wrapping his arms around Bruce, kissing his neck, absently.

"It's about time he finally let someone in." May interjected, anxiously. The rest of the team eyed her curiously, for a moment. But, thankfully, they all mercifully declined to say anything. Though, she was grateful to Grant for allowing her to lean into his side.

"Gotta say..." Clint added, thoughtfully. "Not really the kinda girl I always pictured Coulson with..." Noticing all the curious glances from the group, he just shrugged. "What? Juss sayin'...She's not exactly his 'type'...I always figured he'd end up with someone a little more...uptight..."

Chuckling softly, Kendra stepped over to her boyfriend-wrapping herself up in his warm embrace-as she replied "Believe me, Hawk...The Phil Coulson that died...Was **not** the Phil Coulson that came back."

For that, none of the group had any words. Deep down, they all knew it to be true. Initially, that thought had scared the living hell out of each and every one of them. But, now...After seeing this exchange between the agent and the hacker...They all knew he'd be okay. Together, the two of them would face and best any challenge in their path.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, so, I didn't really incorporate tonight's episode as much as I had expected to...But, I'm happy with what I came up with. Anyway, can I just say OMC! Where to begin?! There were so many twists and turns and curveballs, tonight! I can't even _begin _to count all the times I caught myself saying "Didn't see THAT one comin'..." But, WHAT an episode?! LOVED it! Totally worth the wait! But, getting back to the story. I'm thinking of maybe doing one more-lighter hearted chapter-to round the story out. I also have an idea for something of a 'deleted scene' type thing that I might post...It's up to you guys...If y'all wanna see it...Ya gotta drop a review!

~Skye Coulson


End file.
